Howard Pyle: Instructor

Howard Pyle at work in his studio

"When, after 18 years of unremitting work as an illustrator, Howard Pyle had firmly established himself as a master of his profession, he began to feel a pressing desire to pass on to others the knowledge which he had gained from so much experience. His opinions on art instruction were by no means orthodox. He himself had risen largely by dint of his own application and energy, without the aid of long study abroad and without very much schooling at home. In the light of this success, he was confident that he could help the younger generation of artists by showing them how he had learned to master his art. Accordingly, when the Drexel Institute of Arts and Sciences in Philadelphia asked him to conduct a class in illustration during the winter of 1894–1895, he immediately accepted the offer, and in October undertook his new duties. This was the beginning of a career of teaching which was to last almost to the end of his life.

In the roll of his first class in illustration at the Institute thirty-six names, among which were those of Violet Oakley, Jessie Willcox Smith, and Maxfield Parrish. With this group of enthusiasts he worked endlessly and tirelessly, putting into operation all the ideas and theories which he had gleaned from the preceding years of his work. All winter long he went back and forth from Wilmington to Philadelphia once every week to superintend the study of these promising young men and women.

Almost immediately Howard Pyle became the center of art instruction in Philadelphia and one of the most celebrated teachers of illustration in America. But his class was so rapidly increasing in numbers that steps had to be taken to keep it from growing too large. He decided that he could do more service by limiting membership in it to advanced students only, to those who were almost ready to begin on some phase of work.

As he developed his methods of teaching, he conceived the idea that the truest criterion for judging the work of pupils was the practical use of the work which they produced. With this idea in mind he began trying out various productions of his students on the art editors of Harper & Brothers and other publishing houses. These pictures were oftentimes accepted and many of the pupils began to make almost enough money to support themselves. This system became one of the most important elements of his teaching."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Howard Pyle, A Chronicle" by Charles D. Abbott.)  

Howard Pyle: The Spirit of America

"Even Sir William Berkeley Saw He Must Yield"
by Howard Pyle

"Throughout his whole career there was always one subject in which Howard Pyle was preeminently interested, and that was the history of the United States. His reputation for this widespread knowledge of this country's history was so well-known to other artists that he was frequently called upon to supply some fellow craftsman with the details for a picture. He never failed to give the necessary information, and to it he always added a word of encouragement. But the chief merit of his historical research was that it found its expression in a series of pictures which interpreted American history and life. The series finally included so many pictures, in fact, that it could almost serve as a pictorial history of the nation. 

So much absorption in an American past give him a profound appreciation of everything connected with it. He could not see an old house destroyed without undergoing severe mental tortures, and the mere repairing of famous old buildings would move him to their support. In a letter he explained:

'Old buildings and fragments of the past are to me very and vitally alive with the things of the past. When, for instance, I saw your carpenters working upon the Old Swede's Church I could not but picture to myself in fancy the old builders of that past day in knee breeches and their leather aprons and their uncouth tools building up that which the present generation was tearing down. I understand exactly the unfortunate necessity of such repairs, but it also grieves me sadly to see them.'

It is interesting that in the field of history it was almost solely through pictures that Pyle appealed to his audience. He made many attempts to adapt his historical knowledge to the written page, but nearly all were unsuccessful. Yet each was illustrated by excellent drawings. This is puzzling because of his unflagging interest in the subject.

On August 20, 1895, the editor of 'Harper's Monthly,' wrote to him proposing a series of illustrations for articles on George Washington by Professor Woodrow Wilson. Pyle not only created the art but since his own knowledge of the subject was so immense, his input resulted in a number of changes in the text as well. When the work was complete, his Washington pictures were exhibited first at the Drexel Institute in Philadelphia, where he was teaching at the time, and then at the St. Botolph Club in Boston. For each of these exhibitions he himself published a catalog, printed with old black-letter type, imitating in form and content the publications of the Revolutionary days."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Howard Pyle, A Chronicle" by Charles D. Abbott.)

Howard Pyle: Pirates!

"Pirates Used to Do That to Their Captains Now and Then"
by Howard Pyle

"Pirates and their adventurous lives held a strange attraction for Howard Pyle, and he was never more content than when he had found some half-forgotten account of a notorious buccaneer and had plenty of time to spend in an examination of it.

For fifteen or sixteen years after his marriage a part of nearly every summer was spent in Rehoboth, a little seaside town favored by his wife. Later, when he had become a recognized illustrator, he would go to Rehoboth for the entire summer with his family and John Weller, his model and general handyman, and there he would work without interruption.

To the north of Rehoboth tower were some immense sand dunes, on the top of which loomed a quaintly picturesque lighthouse built in 1763, white-washed and glistening in the sun. Legends, which are as old as the lighthouse itself, have it that these dunes were once the haunt of many a bloodthirsty old sea-dog, who used them as a safe hiding place for unmentionable booty. It was assuredly a place curiously appropriate for pirates.

From the very beginning of his weeks in Rehoboth, Howard Pyle began to collect books on the subject, and gradually his library came to include almost every book which could shed any light upon the lives and deeds of Morgan or Kidd or Teach or any of the notorious freebooters of a former age. He was steeped in pirate lore, his own vivid imagination decorating the narratives from the books with romantic lights and shadows.

He wrote and illustrated two novels, 'The Rose of Paradise,' and 'Within the Capes,' a number of articles for Harper's including 'Buccaneers and Marooners of the Spanish Maine' and 'Jamaica, New and Old,' and pirate illustrations other authors' works such as E.C. Stedman's poem 'Morgan.' Then followed a noble story, 'Jack Ballister's Fortunes,' and 'The Ghost of Captain Brand,' which met with tremendous success. The issue of 'Harper's Weekly' in which it appeared was sold out in record time, and the edition was very large.

"The Puncher" by Frederic Remington
The picture traded for Pyle's work

From the series of his pirate themed books, a most dramatic picture 'Pirates Used to Do That to Their Captains Now and Then' came to the attention of Frederic Remington, in whom Howard Pyle had found a congenial fellow artist. Remington immediately too a fancy to this picture and wanted it. An exchange of work was suggested. 'Too good - too good,' wrote Remington on January 15, 1895. 'The pirate captain dead on the sand. If I get that I will worship you, it, and once more take stock in humanity. As for what you will get - anything I have.The best thing is a big wash drawing, a bucking horse, going like the sweep of an angel's wing. But whatever you see of mine which suits your fancy, is yours. How's that?' Pyle made the trade and chose Remington's 'The Puncher.'"

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Howard Pyle, A Chronicle" by Charles D. Abbott.)

Howard Pyle: The Middle Ages

"The Flight from Falworth Castle"
in "Men of Iron"by Howard Pyle

"In the years after 'Robin Hood,' Howard Pyle was very busy with both writing and illustrating. 'Otto of the Silver Hand,' a story of the adventures of a brave little fellow in the Rhineland, was published in 1888. Joseph Pennell observed that, 'The full pages, though reproduced by process, look like old woodblocks; the head and tailpieces might be mistaken at a glance for Durer's.'

'Men of Iron,' a stirring tale of England in the troublous times of Henry IV came next. Its illustrations marked a great change in technology. The pen-and-ink work used before was abandoned, and black-and-white oils were reproduced by photographic process. With this new medium Pyle was able to get a more solid, a more realistic effect.*

About 1900, or a little after, improvements in the methods of color reproduction were made, and he began to turn his attention to paintings in full colors. For Harper's he began a series of full-color illustrations for medieval stories by other authors, including Mark Twain's 'Joan of Arc.' These pictures with their gorgeous harmonies of brilliant colors made a lasting impression both on the publishers and on the public and Pyle was in great demand. 

In 1903 Pyle proposed writing and illustrating the story of King Arthur to Scribner's, who enthusiastically accepted. In spite of the thousand and one other calls on his energy, the book grew from one to four volumes. 'The Story of King Arthur and His Knights' made its appearance in time for Christmas 1903. 'The Story of the Champions of the Round Table' appeared in 1905, 'The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions' in 1907, and 'The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur' in 1910.

As an expression of Howard Pyle's own feelings about these books, he wrote: 'My ambition in days gone by was to write a really notable adult book, but now I am glad that I have made literary friends of the children rather than older folk. In one's mature years, one forgets the books that one reads, but the stories of childhood leave an indelible impression, and their author always has a niche in the temple of memory from which the image is never cast out to be thrown into the rubbish heap of things that are outgrown and outlived.'"

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Howard Pyle, A Chronicle" by Charles D. Abbott.) 

* For pictures for "Men of Iron" see: https://www.sightswithin.com/Howard.Pyle/Page_5/

Howard Pyle: Robin Hood

Illustration from "Robin Hood"

"There is an appreciable link between Howard Pyle's stories of fairyland and his work in the period of the Middle Ages, by which term is not meant necessarily the definite historical era, but a somewhat imaginary time when knights and ladies experienced unusual adventures and when chivalry was an undeniable fact of society. Pyle described it as 'the land of Fancy, and is of that pleasant kind that, when you tire of it, you clap the leaves of this book together and 'tis gone, and you are ready for everyday life, with no harm done.'

The stories are based, at least partly, on materials which have been handed down from the Middle Ages themselves. His first book in this series is 'Robin Hood' was based on two collections of old ballads: Percy's 'Reliques of Ancient English Poetry,' and Ritson's 'Robin Hood.' Pyle read and re-read them, becoming thoroughly conversant with every detail of plot and character that could be drawn from them. Then he set about writing his own story. 

His Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, are all intensely human personages, yet all move in an atmosphere that is brimming with fanciful notions. The descriptions are superb, and the ballads and songs which figure pleasingly throughout are largely Pyle's own. Perhaps the greatest charm of the book lies in its pictures. The large, full-page plates masterfully tell in the story of Robin Hood, while delightful vignettes and highly decorative initial letters add glowing details.

Artist Joseph Pennell said: 'The book made an enormous sensation when it came out here and even greatly impressed the very conservative William Morris, who thought up to that time...nothing good artistically could come out of America.' It grew to be one of the best sellers for children. By 1902, it was so well known and appreciated, that a curtailed edition was brought out for schools and used with great success throughout the country.

Howard Pyle said that in looking back on his past work he felt that 'Robin Hood' was probably the only book of his which could in any sense be called a classic."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Howard Pyle, A Chronical" by Charles D. Abbott.)

Howard Pyle: Fairy Tales

"The North Wind Flies with His Faithful Servant"

 

"Howard Pyle had been in New York only a short time when he discovered that the greatest charm of his literary work lay in his appeal to children. Fairy tales had always fascinated him when he was a child. His mother had read to him all that could be found and he was saturated with their spirit. At first his fairy tales were mere retellings of old legends. From the skeleton of an old folk tale he would develop a story, so replete with details, and so changed to suit his own ideals, that one could scarcely recognize the framework of the original tale. Later he launched out for himself, inventing his own plots. 

A fairy tale to him meant more than an impossible story. He always combined his own with a touch of the moral, never heavy and nearly always artistic. His bits of common sense came as naturally to him as 'flies in the summer time.' And throughout all his tales there are no crudities, no useless cruelties, no evilly suggestive scenes to be found in so many purely mythical stories. As one grateful parent wrote him, 'we never have to skip a word.'

His first fairy tale book, 'Pepper and Salt' or 'Seasoning for Young Folk,' was published in 1886. It was not very successful, perhaps because it was too costly, but it was a genuine work of art bristling with good pictures and sparkling with a quaint, kindly humor. His second book, 'The Wonder Clock,' was published two years later. According to the plan of the book, every hour brought forth a new tale from the dilapidated old Wonder Clock which stood in Time's garret. This book was an immediate success. He always considered it his best book of fairy tales. It is interesting to note that the book has continued to grow in popularity through the years rather than to diminish. Six times as many copies were sold in 1919 as in 1889. It was not until 1895 that the third and last book of this nature, 'Twilight Land,' appeared. 

With his three books of fanciful tales, he established himself as a master of the form. They were written and illustrated with a perfection that can only be marveled at. The duality of his genius placed him head and shoulders above his contemporary rivals."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Howard Pyle, A Chronicle" by Charles D. Abbott.)

Howard Pyle: Marriage

"Washington and Mary Philipse"
by Howard Pyle

"Howard Pyle, who was an excellent tenor, had been pressed to sing in a chorus for an event, and was told that the first rehearsal would take place at the Pooles', a well-known family in Wilmington. On the appointed evening he went to the Pooles', where he was the first to arrive. Miss Anne Poole met him at the door. She did not know precisely who the strange young man was, but randomly guessed that he was the new tenor, and therefore engaged him in conversation. 

When the other singers came they found Miss Poole and Howard congenially talking and supposed that they were old friends. Consequently the evening's rehearsal went by and they were not introduced. And in Wilmington society in the late 70's for two people to become well acquainted without being properly introduced was a most unconventional thing. Nevertheless, it happened in this case. The young lady had made so deep an impression that Howard Pyle found it convenient for him to call at the Poole house very frequently. In fact, his visits became more and more regular. By July, 1880, the two young people had become engaged.

Howard Pyle now found it very necessary to ascertain whether or not he could make enough money to support two in the same manner in which Miss Poole had always lived, for it was inconceivable to him to think of marrying her unless he could give her everything which she had in her present home. He went to see Parsons at Harper's, and asked him, 'do you think, Mr. Parsons, but I have made a mistake, that I have been too hasty and selfish and involved a girl who has hitherto been raised with every want satisfied in an affair with an uncertain future?' 'No,' said he, 'I don't think anything of a kind. I have seen your work from the start, and have seen it steadily improving. A man of your talents is perfectly safe, and I should be perfectly willing to trust the future of any of my daughters to you and would do so without hesitation, and then saying that, I say all that I can say.'

After this encouraging opinion, Howard Pyle started into work with redoubled energy. Everything that could possibly strengthen his position he did. Pictures, many of them the best that he had done thus far, were completed in much less time than it had formerly taken him. He thought that it would be prudent to make his relations with Scribner's somewhat more intimate than they had been of late. He wrote to them telling them that he could now do work for them, and found that he was received 'with open arms, and the blowing of trumpets.'

After an autumn and winter of strenuous work, Pyle proved to himself that he was capable of making a good living. He was amazingly happy and his future was brimming with hope. On April 12, 1881, Anne Poole and Howard Pyle were married with A.B. Frost acting as best man."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Howard Pyle, A Chronicle" by Charles D. Abbott.)